The present invention relates to a mower and more specifically to a mower deck that is quickly and easily converted between a mulching mode and at least a partial rear discharge mode.
Many municipalities now require that grass cuttings be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. Frequently, this means that the homeowner must either pay additional sums to have the clippings bagged and removed from their site or dispose of them on their own. One solution has been to use a mulching mower deck that cuts and recuts the grass clippings and then drives them down into the standing uncut grass. In that way, there are no clippings to be collected and disposed.
It may occur on occasion that a homeowner fails to cut the grass frequently enough to permit it to be mulched, for example, when the homeowner has been on vacation. In those situations, when the grass has grown too long to be mulched (for example, when the initial clippings would exceed one third the total grass blade length), the homeowner may prefer to simply cut and bag or discharge the grass cuttings onto the surface of the lawn. If discharged onto the lawn, the homeowner can then recut the grass in a mulch mode to mulch the precut clippings. To do so, the operator has to either use a different mulching mower, or if the homeowner has acquired a mower with a convertible mulch/discharge deck, convert the deck to the a mulch mode.
Many of today's convertible mower decks require significant time, energy and tools to make the discharge/mulch or mulch/discharge conversion. Commonly, those mowers require a blade change as well as the removal of a baffle or mulch plug. Blades that are useful for mulching do not employ the lift contour at the end of the blade used by discharge blades to create a strong air current, which is necessary to propel the discharged cuttings out of the deck and especially into a bagging structure. Those non-contoured mulching blades have to be changed to a contoured discharge blade, so that the grass can be expelled sufficiently.
Further, the mulch plug or baffle that is provided on the underside of the deck to deflect the cuttings down and into the standing grass must be removed to provide a discharge opening through the sidewall of the deck and through which the cuttings can be propelled. Removal of those plugs frequently requires tools and/or the opening of the deck to gain access to the plug. If the opening is in the side of the deck, the chute and objects projecting therefrom can hinder or prevent the mower from trimming on both sides thereof.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a mower deck that is convertible between a mulching mode and a discharge mode. Specifically, it would be desirable to provide such a deck that does not require the changing of the blade, and in which the mulch plug could be quickly and easily removed without the need for tools, and wherein the mower can trim on both sides in a discharge mode.